There is a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm based on Bremen and last night it appeared set to be the location for another little piece of fantasy - this time with a joyful north London plot line.

Tottenham, in their first ever Champions League group tie, took the kind of early two-goal advantage that tantalisingly offered them a grip among a quartet that also contains Inter Milan and FC Twente. But they were brought back to reality as the Germans rallied.

That eponymous fairytale is about four animals - including, aptly for Spurs, a rooster - dreaming of being musicians on their way to the town but after such exhilarating early harmony, Spurs struck a couple of discordant notes.

The script had a twist and that twist will have taught them and their manager Harry Redknapp that they have to learn to close out contests. They would have taken a point before the game unfolded but, afterwards, will rue the discarding of two more as fatigue bit. Nevertheless, if all of Spurs’ campaign is as positive as this, it will be some ride.

A rich green pervades this town - from the beer to the football team, it is the colour of the picturesque port. But it is Spurs, of course, who arrived as the novices.

After such an absence from Europe’s premier competition, they needed no reminder. Anticipation, maybe a little trepidation, excitement, the ingredients swirled as headily as the hops in the famous Becks brauerei.

Much of that amber product was sampled by the 2,208 Spurs fans - taking up the club’s allocation - on a drizzly day by the banks of the river Weser and the atmosphere ratcheted up further as they were stationed in a standing area high above one goal.

They were soon celebrating. Spurs started at pace and, for 43 minutes, were quite brilliant.

When Benoit Assou-Ekotto picked out Gareth Bale’s run along the left-flank, the midfielder outstripped Torsten Frings and crossed low with Peter Crouch hurtling towards the near post. The ball connected, however, with the outstretched boot of Bremen’s Petri Pasanen and he turned it into his own net. What a finish.

But Crouch wasn’t to be denied. Just six minutes later he was picked out, ridiculously unmarked by the hapless Pasanen (hence to be renamed by-pasanen surely), by the guileful Rafael van der Vaart and he gleefully steered his header from 12 yards out past a static Tim Wiese.

That capped a period of dominance from Spurs, with the home side only threatening sporadically through the dangerous Marko Marin, who later went on to dominate proceedings.

The pace and strength of Bale was a constant outlet, with Van der Vaart, oiling the wheels, providing an energetic, intelligent link between midfield and Crouch, before he departed with a calf strain.

There were more goals to be had. Once more Bale broke away, Bremen defenders struggling to keep up and his centre-cum-shot almost found Crouch but was turned away by Wiese. As Jermaine Jenas shaped to slam the ball in, it was scrambled clear.

Soon after and Wiese blocked superbly from Bale’s drive after Bremen failed to deal with Kaboul’s whipped-in cross. The Germans had to do something and introduced another striker, Aaron Hunt, but it was Spurs again threatening with Wiese reacting sharply to block Bale’s flick.

And, yet, for all that dominance, that flowing football, the relentless Bale, Spurs were undone just before half-time by the most routine of crosses from Wesley hoisted deep into their area.

It found Hugo Almeida unattended as he stole away from Ledley King and he simply eased his header past a rooted Carlo Cudicini to reduce the advantage and change the landscape of the contest.

By now, Marin was running the game as Redknapp had feared he might. A simple punt forward by Frings found Almeida, with Kaboul dithering, but he lifted his shot over. Marin, once more, burst into the area only to shoot narrowly wide before Hunt ballooned another effort.

On came Wilson Palacios with Redknapp desperate to stop Marin. A point would do, although Crouch almost reached Bale’s cross to collect all three and then slipped a shot just past the far post.

That would have been dreamland, a fairytale, a tall story. As it was, their supporters were happy enough as they await the next chapter in what could be the competition’s most exciting group.